Process of bending barrel-staves



(No Model.)

J. G. REHFUSS.

PROCESS OF B-ENDING BARREL STAVES.

No. 393,636 Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

N. PETCRfi Phnm-Lnnngmpher, Washingtan. DV (1 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GEORGE REHFUSS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN BARREL AND STAVE COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEIV JERSEY.

PROCESS OF BENDING BARREL-STAVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,661, dated November 27, 1888.

Application filed March 12, 1888. Serial No. 267.026. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN GEORGE REH- FUss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in the Process of Bending Barrel-staves, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to-prevent the cracking and straining of staves due to bendro ing of the same prior to their being fed to the setting-up or trnssing machine, where a series of staves are secured in barrel form, a further object being to effect the bending of the staves at the same time that they are being fed forr 5 ward to the machine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of mechanism which I prefer to use in carrying out my invention; and Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 are transverse sectional diagrams on a larger scale on the respective lines 2 2, 3 3, 4 4, and 5 5.

On reference to Figs; 1 and 2, A represents part of a trussing or setting-up machinethat shown being of the construction illustrated and described in an application for patent filed January 24, 1887, Serial No. 225,328-B showing one of the stavereceiving heads having an annular groove, b, into which the staves are fed one at a time, and D is the stave feed- 0 way, preferably supported on one of the stringer-bars E of the setting-up machine.

The frame of the stavefeedway has three longitudinal ribs in the present instancetwo outer ribs, d d, and one central rib, e. The

5 outer ribs are of theform shown in Fig. 2,

and are provided with overhanging caps carrying a series of anti-friction rollers, f f, and on the central rib, e, are a series of anti-fricf tion rollers, g, the top surface of the rib being 0 inclined from the inlet end a to the discharge end a-that is to say, itgradnally rises in re spect to the side ribs, d. Adjacent to each rib (Z is a longitudinal bar, F, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, and each bar has a series of 5 fingers, t, which, as the bar is reciprocated, serve to feed the staves in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1.

The stave is delivered to the Ieedway at the end a in a perfectly flat condition,as shown in Fig. 2; but as the fingers i gradually feed the stave forward in the direction of the arrow said stave is bent by the conjoint action of the bars at and e, and when the stave reaches theline 3 3 it has assumed the condition shown in Fig. 3, and the bending continues until when the stave reaches the line 4 4 it has assumed the position shown in Fig. 4, and by the time it reaches theline 5 5 it has assumed the condition shown in Fig. 5, it being then preferably bout a little more than is absolutely necessary for the finished barrel. At this point it is fed into the groove 1) of the setting-up machine, and the usual hoops are placed thereon, as described in the aforesaid application.

In some cases I may have longitudinal ribs or bars on each side of the center of the feedway to bear on the under side of the stave, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and in place of the friction-rollers on the central bar a plain strip may be used, and friction-rollers mayalso beplaced, as shown in Fig. 5, on each side of the center of the fecdway to bear upon the top of the stave, the construction of the bending device varying with the quality and thickness of the staves to be bent. 3y thus feeding the staves forward in a direction transversely to their length, and at the same time subjecting them to a gradually-increasing pressure, whereby they are bent or curved longitudinally, I am enabled to effect said bending of the stave without that risk of cracking or straining the same which is frequently incurred in bending the staves between dies, and I economize time and space by effecting the bending of the staves simultaneously with the feeding of the same to the trussing or sets ting-up machine.

1 The staves may be either hot or cold; but it is preferable in all cases to heat the staves prior to the bending of the same.

I claim as my inventiou The mode described of bending staves, said mode consisting in moving the staves forward in a direction transversely to their length, and while they are being thus traversed subjecting them to a gradually-increasing pressure, whereby they are bent or curved longitudinally, all substantially as specified.

In testimony whereofIhave signed my name to this specificationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN GEORGE REHFUSS.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM D. CoNNER, HARRY SMITH. 

